How do I make payment on a purchase and/or for services provided by Westdale Gallery?

Payment for items sold by Westdale Gallery is currently discussed via telephone, and subsequently transacted via PayPal using a credit card. You may also pay by money order or certified cheques (in U.S. or Cdn. funds).

Why should I buy from a gallery instead of from the artist? I always figured if I bought from artists that I would get a better deal? Is this true?

Most artists are contracted with galleries and dealers who earn a commission from the sale of art. Commissions are earned by galleries even when the artist sells directly to the collector because galleries absorb most of the artist's marketing and promotion costs.

If you are looking for a "deal," a gallery has as much authority to offer one as the artist. If you wish to resell the art in the future it would be very important for you to know a lot about the work. Since it is standard business practise for galleries to keep this kind of resale information on file (buying and staying) with your favourite galleries is the way to go.

When you buy from a gallery, you have the opportunity to help many artists make a living. This is why many artists will bring studio clients to their respective galleries to meet the dealer. Then it becomes a collective effort for every artist to help each other make a living.

I don't know much about art but I want to start a collection. I've heard that some galleries will do anything to make a sale, and that some others sell junk for exorbitant amounts of money. How do I know the difference between a good and bad gallery?

That is a difficult question to answer concisely. Really, the only way to know for certain is to deal with the gallery in question. However, there are some precautions you can take to prevent yourself from falling victim to unscrupulous dealers: Before purchasing anything, find out as much about the gallery as you can. Don't be afraid to make an inquiry of other local galleries before you decide to purchase.

Art can be a valuable investment to make. It typically is a store of value, but may not appreciate consistently over time. Authentication of art is critical so ask about the provenance of the work, certificates of authenticity and then check out the reputation of the appraisers. A review of the artist's resume is important, to determine the reputation of the artist. Also, investigate the quality and condition of the materials used in producing the art and ensure the framing of the art is of good quality and in good condition. Most importantly decide for yourself if the work is worth the asking price.

Finally, you have to like the art and feel it is worth the asking price to buy it!

Printmaking

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATIONAll images on this web site are the property of the respective artists. No image is to be used, in whole or in part, for any purpose, without the written consent of the respective artist (s). If you are interested in written consent for usage of any art work please contact us. We would be pleased to get in contact with the artist for you.